Goodnight Kisses
by lil-hermione-at-heart
Summary: Listen to Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle All Harry has wanted for most of his life is a family. So after the war was over and he finally married Hermione, he wants to make that dream come true.


**Chapter One**

Harry stood in the hallway outside of Hermione's hospital room pacing. The nurses had kicked him out of the room after the baby was born so fast that he hadn't even been able to tell if it was a boy or a girl.He'd been rushed out right after a bunch of alarms started going off on the few pieces of machinery that wizarding hospitals had; so naturally, he was scared.

Finally, a nurse came walking towards him with a little pink bundle in her arms. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter. It's a beautiful baby girl."

He smiled wider than he thought possible as the witch lowered the small baby into his arms. He looked down into the face of his daughter. She already had a bit of black hair on her head, but when her little eyes finally fluttered open, they were a soft chocolate brown; her mother's eyes.

Just as Harry noticed this, another nurse came out of Hermione's room. Harry turned to look at her and, by the expression she had on her face, Harry knew it wasn't good news she had come to deliver.

The nurse walked up to him. "Due to the damage done by giving birth, we were unable to stop the internal bleeding. I'm sorry but Mrs. Potter didn't make it."

The pain Harry felt was worse than a knife to the heart. He took a stumbled step back and collapsed onto the bench. He barely registered the nurse's falling tear or the pat on the shoulder she gave him before walking away.

Harry sat there for a minute, absorbing the awful news, until the little bundle squirmed in his arms. He looked down at her and wiped away his tear that had landed on her face. More tears fell as his eyes met those chocolate orbs. Holding the baby closer to his chest, he got up and walked into Hermione's room. It took all his will power to not fling himself at the bed and sob uncontrollably. To Harry though, she looked as if she were sleeping.

The nurses had cleaned up the mess and cleaned her body so it looked as if nothing had happened. Her stomach was even back to normal; flat, as if the baby had never been there. He walked up to the bed and stood over her. He shifted the baby into one arm and used his free hand to brush back a curl that was stuck in her eyelashes.

Just as more tears began to fall, there was a cough from behind him. "I apologize for the interruption Mr. Potter, but we must prepare her for the funeral."

Harry nodded at the strange man and, after placing a quick kiss to her still warm cheek, he wrapped the baby in his arms and left the room. As he made his way outside so as to catch a taxi home, a thought occurred to him; he hadn't named the baby. He and Hermione had said that if it were to be a girl they would name it Lily Jane after both of their mother's, but Harry decided to change that.

She would be named Lily Hermione Potter.

Harry was holding the smallest of hands in his as the two made their way up the stairs.

"But Daddy, I don't wanna go to seep!" the little girl whined as they walked into her bedroom.

Harry smiled at her protest. Though she was now three years old, she still had trouble with her L's. She didn't even attempt to pronounce her own name anymore. "I know you don't Lily, but you need your sleep." He picked her up and set her in bed, tucking the blankets tightly around her.

But just as he was about to lean down to give her a kiss, she stopped him.

"Wait. We haven't said our prayers yet!" She squired her way out of bed and slid onto the floor. After folding her hands, she looked up expectantly at him.

Harry smiled and quickly obliged, getting down on his knees and folding his hands. But as Lily said the prayer he had taught her, Harry was thinking of Hermione. _"If only you could be here to see her, Hermione. She's so much like you. She's adorable, funny, and smarter than any three year old should be. Barely a day goes by where she doesn't surprise me. But, barely a day goes by where she doesn't remind me of you. I wish you could be here."_

Lily said her quiet amen then struggled her way back into her bed. Harry stood and tucked her in again. This time, he leaned down and they did their little butterfly kiss. Lily laughed as his eyelashes tickled her's. Harry gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and, as he walked out of the room he whispered, "I love you, baby."

"Daddy I'm not scared of the pony! I just want you here for safety reasons." Harry smiled as his little girl got adjusted in the saddle. Though she wouldn't admit it, he knew was a little nervous.

For her tenth birthday he had taken her to the horse farm just outside of London. She had always wanted to ride a pony and Harry thought it would make the perfect birthday present. He looked up at the girl, long black hair hung down to her waist with the white lily stuck behind her ear and the bright chocolate eyes shone brighter than her smile.

They laughed as she rode the pony along the trail with Harry walking next to her the whole way. After her ride they went home where they made her cake together. Neither of them were amazing bakers so the cake turned out kind of funny, but they ate it all anyways.

Later that night, Harry looked down at the little girl sleeping with her head in his lap. He knew he wasn't perfect and had messed up so many times. Even the famous Harry Potter makes mistakes sometimes. But all he cared about was doing right by his baby girl.

Six years later on her 16th birthday, Harry was downstairs making breakfast before Lily woke up. He wanted today to be the best sweet sixteen birthday any girl could ask for. He knew he was probably going to end up spoiling her today just like he always did on her birthday, but he really didn't care. He had the whole day planned out; they were even going to carry on their tradition of making her cake together.

So as the day went on, they had their breakfast and he was taking her to get her own car. Even though he had mainly raised her in the magical world, he wanted her to know the life of a muggle as well since both her parents grew up in the muggle world.

There were so many times he felt terrible for the fact that she had to know part of what he had grown up dealing with, the loss of a parent. But this only made Harry try harder to make sure she knew as much about her mum as possible.

As he looked over at her while she went on about how she was so excited to go back to Hogwarts this year and be back with her friends and how she really hopes her OWL scores were high enough to get her into the classes she wants, Harry can't help but think of how much she's like the woman he fell in love with all those years ago during his own Hogwarts days.

Even though it's hard for every father to admit it, he knew his little girl was growing up. Soon she'd finally admit that she had feelings for Ron and Luna's son Fred, named after the fallen Weasley, and Harry would have to deal with the problems that come with his baby having a boyfriend. He didn't want to see her grow up, but what father ever did?

So when they got home, her following him in her new car, and they had made their disaster in the kitchen in an attempt to make the cake yet again, she asked him if she could go to her friend's house where they were having a party for her; and Harry was forced to realize that this was just the beginning of slowly letting her go. So as the smile came to his face and with a tear in his eye, he agreed so long as she promised not to speed and be home by her curfew.

What she didn't see was the tear that fell from his eye as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and was out the door.

His little girl was growing up.

Today is the worst and best day of any father's life: the day he has to walk his daughter down the aisle and give her away. The wedding didn't start for another 20 minutes and Harry already had a few tears falling down his cheek. He was standing just outside the church looking up at the gorgeous blue sky. _"Oh Hermione how I wish you could be here to see this, to help me hold it together today."_ As he stood there talking to no one visible, Ginny came up beside him and looped her arm through his.

"You know Harry, Hermione has been watching over you and Lily from above every day since she left us, but today, I think she'll be here with us all." Ginny placed a kiss on his cheek then walked back into the church to take her seat.

With one last look to the heavens, Harry headed to see his baby girl.

When he walked into the bride room, she was there futzing with her dress in the mirror. As he watched her from the doorway, he remembered the day that he and Hermione had gotten married in this very same church, and Hermione was the one in that dress.

"I don't think there's any better way to honor your mom today than you wearing that dress," Harry said softly as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. Harry had offered to buy her any wedding dress she wanted but there wasn't even a discussion. Ever since she was a little girl, she had wanted to get married in her mum's wedding dress.

Lily turned around and smiled at him. "You know I've always wanted to wear this dress today."

Harry approached her has she turned back to the mirror. He stood just behind her, careful not to step on her dress, and looked at their reflection in the mirror. "You look just like her, you know. Except…"

"The hair, I know dad. Although, I could've lived without the bushiness." Lily let loose a small laugh as Harry smiled back at her, one more tear falling.

Lily suddenly turned around with such worry on her face; just like her mother. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Harry smiled again. "I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."

But Lily just smiled as she leaned over and gave him one last butterfly kiss. "I love you dad."

Once she straightened up again, she said, "Well we're running out of time. Can you help me with this?"

Harry put out his hand as she dropped and single Lily into it. He looked up at her as he gently tucked it through her hair right behind her ear, just like always. When he had dropped his hands back to his side, she quickly through her arms around him and squeezed him like it was the last time.

"We need to go," she whispered. She righted herself and started walking towards the door. Once they reached the double doors that opened to the sanctuary, she wrapped her arm around her father's. With one final smile that was meant just for him, the doors opened and he lead his baby girl down the aisle.

As Harry took his seat in the front pew, he noticed a vacancy between him and Ron. Harry looked up from the empty space to Ron's face. Ron returned Harry's gaze with a few tears in his own eyes and nodded his head. The seat was for Hermione. Harry smiled his thanks and returned his gaze to his baby girl; and as he watched the ceremony carry on, felt a cold breeze blow through the church. And when he raised his eyes to the heavens, he felt a light pressure on his hand that was resting in the empty space, and he knew Hermione was there.


End file.
